User blog:Carol of the bells/Days of Ruin (Revised): Chapter 1, part 2
Zen trailed aimlessly across the snowy wasteland, her footprints marking the way she had come from—the way she could not return. Beneath her fur-lined cloak, she shivered from the cold and her sorrow. Her mind was too clouded with confusion, fear, and anger for her to think clearly. “Lady Zen…” She didn’t respond to the voice echoing gently in her head. “Zen?” This time it’s a female voice, laced with concern. “Not now,” She murmured. “I don’t need you now.” The voices obeyed, and ceased speaking. For a split moment, Zen regretted silencing them, and considered summoning her units to accompany her and quench the overwhelming loneliness she felt. Resentment quickly pushed these thoughts aside. After all, it was because she depended on them so much that she had grown soft. That’s why she lost her match in the arena. That’s why she was here, in the snow, alone. If she wanted to go home, she needed to get stronger. She needed to learn to trust herself and only herself. Gazing out at the horizon, Zen saw that the sun had begun to set. She would have to make it to the bottom of the mountain so that she would not freeze to death during the night. She lifted her palm, materializing a crystal the size of her fist. If glowed with light energy, lighting her way in the dimming light. She continued forward. Hours passed and darkness fell as she traveled as swiftly as her body would carry her. A sigh of exhaustion left her lips as she fell to the ground, too tired to continue. She was no more than a mile from the base of the mountain. That was all she could manage. She pulled her cloak tightly around her, trying to preserve as much body heat as possible. I’m scared, she thought to herself, her lip trembling as tears threatened to spill from her closed eyes. But that won’t bring me home. I…I want to get stronger. I want to go home. The snow fell to the earth gently, silently, as exhaustion and misery over took her mind, and she fell into a deep sleep. *** Selena sighed, her countenance down-trodden. Residing within the spirit of her summoner, she sensed Zen’s distress and anger. She also sensed her unwillingness to seek the comfort she would not admit to yearning for. “Do not fret, Selena.” Aem, another one of Zen’s units addressed her. “We cannot help her if she does not want her help.” The blue-haired swordswoman smiled sadly. “I know.” She stared up into the emptiness of the void that surrounded them. “It’s just…” The warrior laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Take heart. She’ll come around.” A scoff drew their attention to the samurai who sat alone. He appeared to be the only who was at ease. “Your foolishness is overwhelming.” Selena’s smile soured into a frown as she turned to the dark-attributed unit. “We know what you think of Zen, Mifune. Your opinion is not needed.” Mifune chuckled wryly. “How ironic. You two do not truly understand the summoner you hold in such high regards.” “Oh?” Aem asked. Despite his calm expression, his voice had an undertone of anger. “Pray tell, share with us your insight.” He eyed his fellow units, the lower half of his face hidden by his scarf. “Zen is undergoing a transformation you cannot stop.” His eyes flickered to the dark sky Selena had been watching intently moments ago. “Soon, it will not matter how much you care for her. In the end, she will decide what happens.” “I didn’t know you cared, Mifune,” Selena addressed him bitterly. “I don’t,” He snapped, his gaze cutting back to her. “I’m only relieving you of your ignorance.” Aem sighed, waving Selena away from the brewing conflict. “He’s right, Selena.” He looked up into the empty void. “It’s up to our summoner now.” *** The Samui family was reclusive. The only public appearances they ever made were in their arena matches, and only for the purposes of showing their strength in order to ward off any relatives, and gaining revenue from their victories. There was a never-ending conflict between the main family and the branch families, and who should be ruling both. When they weren’t fighting in the arena, they were keeping the snowy wastelands clear of monsters. Zen hadn’t been to town on a casual visit more than twice, from what she could remember. There was a small village several miles from the base of Mt. Egor, and that’s where she headed for supplies, a meal, and for an idea of what direction she should go. She bought her supplies, leaving her enough Zel to eat a cheap meal, and headed for the bulletin board in the center of town. Just as she remembered it, several travelers and adventurers were gathered around the bulletin board. The villages posted complaints and missions with the promise of reward for anyone who would agree to their request. She didn’t plan on taking a mission, but she hoped to learn of any monster nests in the area that she might exterminate. At first, nothing in particular caught her attention. The first two fliers offered a reward in exchange for a missing person, and the third said something about a bounty. After scanning the various posters, she finally found one that displayed a map. An area outside of the village had been circled red, and beneath was a request: “Monster activity around the village has increased. Trade has gone down. Please eradicate.” Below it was the mayor’s signature. Next to that was a reward: one healer unit. The area on the map that was circled in red was simply known as “The Cave of Flames”, located south of Mt. Egor. As its name suggested, it was a series of caves filled with volcanic activity, and apparently, a monster nest. That was all she needed to know; monsters were known to make their nests within several miles of other nests. If she could find this one, she would be able to find others. Not only that, but she would earn herself a healer unit. She would need someone who could restore her strength after battle. A part of her briefly wondered if she was even capable of taking on such a large hoard of monsters on her own. As if sensing her unease, Aem spoke to her through her mind. “If you summon us, Lady Zen, you will be able to—“ “No,” She clenched her fists, cutting him off. “I grew weak depending on your strength...I do not need it now…” She ended the conversation before anyone could overhear, quickly turning away from the bulletin board. *** The Egor mountains were a cold place. Zen had lived there all her life, and it was a stark contrast to the Cave of Flames. Even though she had not yet entered, her arm was lifted before her face to shield herself from the radiating heat. She stopped ten feet outside of the cave, surveying the interior. It was far from dark; the slow-flowing rivers of lava illuminated the cavern. She could see the great hoard of fire-type monsters inside. They hadn’t noticed her, yet. She drew in a breath, and charged forward. Her fingers drew through the air at her side, forming a crystal blade. She grabbed its hilt, and swung at the first beast closest to her. Its edge cut into the back of a goblin, and it let out a strangled shriek before turning into a shimmering light and disappearing. The heat hit Zen like a wall, and she gasped involuntarily. She quickly recovered, ducking beneath a stream of fiery breath. She dove to the right, dodging an ogre’s wild swing. In the midst of these attacks, she suddenly realized how many foes she was facing. It’s too late to turn back, she thought. She crystalized her free hand and drove it through the snapping jaws of a wild Cerberus. She quickly leapt away as another ball of fire splashed against the ground. She stumbled back, the edge of her heels threatening to betray her into the hands of the lava below. An Ogre suddenly reached out and wrapped its large hand around her, flinging her across the cave. She cried out as she collided with the wall before falling to the ground. A salamander swung its long tail at her. She pushed herself up quickly, leaping up and waving her hand through the air. A stream of crystals fell through the air, impaling the beast. As she landed on her feet, she leaned back, far, as a stream of fire blasted across her face. She grunted as she saw that she had only managed to kill three monsters. She was still faced with a mob of various beasts, all waiting to devour her. “Zen!” The summoner did not have time to wonder which of her units was speaking to her as she dodged another attack. “I can do this,” She protested stubbornly. As she said this, her side was nicked by the claws of an Ifrit as it attacked her. She lost her balance. “Please, Zen!” She twisted away, countering the attack. “Hurry!” Another blast of fire. Zen grit her teeth, and reluctantly summoned her unit. “Selena, come!” The monsters stopped in their tracks as a bright light shone from the summoner. It faded as quickly as it came, revealing the blue-haired swordswoman. Her eyes snapped open and she brandished her blade. A nearby salamander snarled, breathing a stream of fire. “Lexida!” Selena called to her blade, swinging it through the air. Steam filled the caverns as water collided with fire. Zen spun around, piercing a firedrake with her crystals. Her mind became clouded with frustration as the beast collapsed. She didn’t understand it. Why? {Why was she born so weak? What made her different from her siblings? Even Kaine, who was unable to summon units, had managed to gain their father’s approval. Though Hisagi insisted they fight without their units, it took a lot of energy to maintain many units—therefore, the more units a summoner had, the stronger they could become. So if someone like Kaine, who did not have enough energy to sustain one unit, was regarded as a true Samui…why wasn’t she? What was wrong with her?} She let out a shout of anger as her crystalize fist drove itself into the body of an orc. It buckled under her blow. The unit and the summoner fought, though not together, until the cavern was clear. The remaining monsters retreated from the caverns, fleeing the nest. Zen’s heavy breaths began to slow. Her back was turned on Selena as she fixed her gaze on the ground. The swordswoman swung her blade once, flinging any traces of blood from its surface. She looked on at her summoner. “Zen…” “Return, Selena,” She spoke quietly. Selena lowered her head, but complied. Her body began to grow transparent as she faded into a white light. She turned into an orb of white light that hovered over to Zen and disappeared into her body. She stared at her open palm ruefully. She had a long way to go. *** “You have our thanks,” The mayor said, one hand fixed on his belt while the other held a large cylinder. Inside was a glowing white orb. “We submitted our request to the Akras Summoner’s Hall months ago, but they haven’t replied.” He huffed. “I suppose they don’t think we’re in their jurisdiction, however…” The mayor began to ramble a little before he shook his head. “But I can see you’re not interested in politics.” Zen stared at him with indifferent blue eyes, as if in confirmation. He cleared his throat before extending his hand, offering her the cylinder. “At any rate, you’ve fulfilled the request. Here is your reward.” She took the cylinder, bowing her head slightly. “Thank you.” She quickly left the mayor’s house, heading for the edge of town. She didn’t want to release the unit while she was among people. It would be a lie to say she liked to be alone. However, it was what she was the most familiar with. She didn’t stop until she had traveled past the Cavern of Fire. Taking the cylinder in her hands, she twisted it open. A bright light spilled from the opening. It lasted a little longer than when she had summoned Selena. The vague form of a person began to form as the light started to fade. "Wha!" A female voice cried out, "Could it be? A summoner? Alright! Finally, someone is calling me out!" A silhouette appeared as someone neared the gate. As the light gradually receded, Zen saw it was a girl, probably a few years older than herself. She had red hair and a matching short red dress. In her right hand, had held a long-handled pan that was propped against her shoulder. She smiled brightly. "Hey! Are you the summoner that called me?" Zen nodded, re-capping the cylinder. "Listen," she began, "I've only recruited you because I have no means of a speedy recovery. I have no intention of summoning you unless needed, so do not expect--" She was interrupted when the young chef launched herself at the summoner, enclosing her in a tight hug. "I've waited so long for someone to find my Gate!" Zen sputtered over her words, prying the red-head off of her. "H-hey, listen to me when I speak...!" She stumbled over her words, flustered by the unwarranted act of affection The girl giggled, but released Zen from the hug. “Sorry, I get carried away sometimes. I’m Lancia. What’s your name, summoner?” “Zen,” She answered. “But that is beside the point. I meant it—I will not be summoning you unless the situation is dire. Do you understand?” Lancia’s smile faltered slightly. “Yeah, I get it. You need a healer, huh?” Her grin returned as she pointed towards herself. “I won’t let you down!” “Good,” Zen replied, turning to leave. “Let us depart.” Lancia began to glow until her body grew completely transparent. She faded into a shining orb, hovering to Zen’s body and disappearing into her. Zen exited the building, mounting her steed. Now that she had prepared, she was ready to set out on her journey. She would prove worthy of returning home. Category:Blog posts